The summer harvest season for wild Alaska salmon officially opens on May 16, with a projected harvest of 179 million fish.
Should the harvest reach this prediction, 2013 will mark the eighth-largest Alaska salmon season on record and a 40 percent increase from last year’s catch of 127.1 million fish.
The season kicks off with the arrival of king and sockeye in the Copper River, with larger openings throughout the summer and continuing into September.
Alaska salmon comprises five species and accounts for more than 90 percent of all wild salmon in North America. Like all seafood harvested in the state, Alaska salmon is always wild, natural, and sustainable.
While most Alaska salmon is harvested during summer openings, Alaska troll-caught king salmon is harvested year-round.
Alaska seafood creates more jobs than any other private sector industry in the state, with nearly 80,000 people—32 percent of the workforce—directly or indirectly involved.
Seafood lovers who are interested in learning more about Alaska’s five species of wild salmon can visit www.wildalaskaflavor.com, the newly redesigned website from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).
Layering images via parallax scrolling technology for a fluid, three-dimensional feel, the new site inspires visitors to “invite wild to dinner” and offers an immersive tour of Alaska’s commercial fisheries.
Along with recipes, nutritional info, and the stories of local fishermen, visitors can discover Alaska’s legacy of sustainable seafood and learn about how the state uses the best science available and careful management to ensure that wild Alaska seafood is never overfished and will be abundant for generations to come.
